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A wonderful old antique puzzle jewellery box, dating to the late 1890s. It was made in Sorrento in Southern Italy for the Sorrento/Italian tourist market. The box has a secret lock plus a secret compartment.
FREE UK NEXT DAY DELIVERY. We Ship Worldwide.
This is a wonderful antique puzzle jewellery box, dating to the late 1890s. It was made in Sorrento in Southern Italy for the Sorrento/Italian tourist market. The box has a secret lock plus a secret compartment. The interior linings are original.
The Exterior
This box is made of solid Olivewood, details of which are given below. The Olivewood has a beautiful colour, aged patina, and figuration.
The box is in the form of books. There are two books horizontally placed at the top and bottom, and a row of upright volumes in between. These are all numbered with hand-painted Roman Numerals (I to VII).
The lid has beautiful inlaid Swallows in flight, surrounded by an inlaid tesselated micro mosiac frame. Details of this can be found below. One of the Swallows is holding an Olive tree sprig in its beak. SOUVENIR is hand-painted on the 'spine' of the top book and there is further hand-painted detail to both the top and bottom 'spines'.
The box is complete with its original hinges. It also has its original secret lock and key. The lock is concealed by the spine of the fourth volume. It is a high quality continental lock, details of which can be found below. There is a shallow secret compartment within the bottom horizontally placed book. Instructions on how to access the secret lock and compartment will be sent along with the box.
The Micro Mosaic Tesselated Inlay
This type of inlay is skilfully created with hundreds of tiny pieces of wood. It is painstakingly put together over many hours to form a beautiful mosaic pattern. Often, several varieties of wood are used to add colour and dimension to the mosaic.
About Olivewood
Olivewood has a distinctive grain and rich colour which gives it a beautiful appearance. It has characteristic brown and yellow streaks which make for a beautiful contrast. These features make it a sought after wood for decorative items such as jewellery boxes. Olivewood is also favoured for its hardness. It is a strong durable wood with a fairly high density and it takes well to cutting and polishing. The Olive tree primarily grows in the coastal regions of the Mediterraen. Its wood has been used for many years by Italian box makers in particular. It is also a favoured wood in areas of the Holy Lands such as Jersualem.
Details Of The Continental Lock
This box has a wonderful continental lock which was designed to deter thieves from stealing its contents. It was cleverly dsigned so that its key could be turned TWICE to both lock and unlock the box. The idea was that an intruder would believe the lock to be faulty when it did not open upon just one turn! The lock can, however, be operated with just one turn if desired.
The Interior
The interior has a single storage compartment. This, as well as the inside of the lid, have their original aged red velvet linings.
History Of Puzzle Boxes
These beautiful old puzzle boxes with their secret locks and compartments were designed to securely store valuable pieces of jewellery and private documents, etc. Puzzle boxes are still made today but these modern versions are rarely as beautiful or well made.
The key to this box can be stored in the secret compartment for safekeeping.
Condition
This wonderful old box is still in very good condition. It has sound structure and no nasty cracks.
The interior velvet linings are original. Being over 130 years old, they do have wear and stains from age and honest use.
The hinges are still in good working order and the box locks securely.
There is some replacement inlay to the tesselated frame in a few areas which has been done fairly sympathetically.
There is a piece of veneer missing to the bottom edge of the bottom 'spine'. This is barely noticeable and can only be seen if you tilt the box backwards.
All in all the box is still very nice. Its wear is commensurate with its 130 plus years of age and honest use. Please view all of the photos provided to ensure you are happy with the condition of the box.
Notes About Antique Locks
We would like to make you aware that antique locks can occasionally malfunction. They are already very old and will naturally have some wear from age and use. We are not responsible for locks that malfunction from further age and use once boxes are purchased.
Please ensure the lock is still working as soon as you receive your box. It will be checked again prior to posting.
You can view our full returns policy which includes locks by visiting our Payments And Returns page.
Measurements
Please use the following measurements to ensure the box is the right size for your requirements.
Length: 15.2cm
Width: 11.7cm
Height: 10.8cm
Interior Compartment:
12.3 by 8.7cm with a 5.7cm depth.
Postage
This box will be posted FREE within the UK by Royal Mail Next Day Special Delivery.
International postage is £30 by Royal Mail International Tracked and/or Signed For postage. Delivery is fast, within 3-5 working days to Europe and 5-7 working days to the rest of the world. Delivery may be longer depending on the speed of your local postal service and/or if your parcel has to go through customs. Please note that we cannot deliver to international PO boxes as we use a secure insured postal service that requires a signature.
Customs/VAT fees and Import Tariffs
International customers are responsible for paying any applicable customs duties, import tariffs, customs clearance/handling fees and/or VAT. These fees are NOT included in the prices of our boxes or our postage fees.
Please visit our Orders & Delivery page for further details.
A wonderful old antique puzzle jewellery box, dating to the late 1890s. It was made in Sorrento in Southern Italy for the Sorrento/Italian tourist market. The box has a secret lock plus a secret compartment.
A wonderful old antique puzzle jewellery box, dating to the late 1890s. It was made in Sorrento in Southern Italy for the Sorrento/Italian tourist market. The box has a secret lock plus a secret compartment.
FREE UK NEXT DAY DELIVERY. We Ship Worldwide.
This is a wonderful antique puzzle jewellery box, dating to the late 1890s. It was made in Sorrento in Southern Italy for the Sorrento/Italian tourist market. The box has a secret lock plus a secret compartment. The interior linings are original.
The Exterior
This box is made of solid Olivewood, details of which are given below. The Olivewood has a beautiful colour, aged patina, and figuration.
The box is in the form of books. There are two books horizontally placed at the top and bottom, and a row of upright volumes in between. These are all numbered with hand-painted Roman Numerals (I to VII).
The lid has beautiful inlaid Swallows in flight, surrounded by an inlaid tesselated micro mosiac frame. Details of this can be found below. One of the Swallows is holding an Olive tree sprig in its beak. SOUVENIR is hand-painted on the 'spine' of the top book and there is further hand-painted detail to both the top and bottom 'spines'.
The box is complete with its original hinges. It also has its original secret lock and key. The lock is concealed by the spine of the fourth volume. It is a high quality continental lock, details of which can be found below. There is a shallow secret compartment within the bottom horizontally placed book. Instructions on how to access the secret lock and compartment will be sent along with the box.
The Micro Mosaic Tesselated Inlay
This type of inlay is skilfully created with hundreds of tiny pieces of wood. It is painstakingly put together over many hours to form a beautiful mosaic pattern. Often, several varieties of wood are used to add colour and dimension to the mosaic.
About Olivewood
Olivewood has a distinctive grain and rich colour which gives it a beautiful appearance. It has characteristic brown and yellow streaks which make for a beautiful contrast. These features make it a sought after wood for decorative items such as jewellery boxes. Olivewood is also favoured for its hardness. It is a strong durable wood with a fairly high density and it takes well to cutting and polishing. The Olive tree primarily grows in the coastal regions of the Mediterraen. Its wood has been used for many years by Italian box makers in particular. It is also a favoured wood in areas of the Holy Lands such as Jersualem.
Details Of The Continental Lock
This box has a wonderful continental lock which was designed to deter thieves from stealing its contents. It was cleverly dsigned so that its key could be turned TWICE to both lock and unlock the box. The idea was that an intruder would believe the lock to be faulty when it did not open upon just one turn! The lock can, however, be operated with just one turn if desired.
The Interior
The interior has a single storage compartment. This, as well as the inside of the lid, have their original aged red velvet linings.
History Of Puzzle Boxes
These beautiful old puzzle boxes with their secret locks and compartments were designed to securely store valuable pieces of jewellery and private documents, etc. Puzzle boxes are still made today but these modern versions are rarely as beautiful or well made.
The key to this box can be stored in the secret compartment for safekeeping.
Condition
This wonderful old box is still in very good condition. It has sound structure and no nasty cracks.
The interior velvet linings are original. Being over 130 years old, they do have wear and stains from age and honest use.
The hinges are still in good working order and the box locks securely.
There is some replacement inlay to the tesselated frame in a few areas which has been done fairly sympathetically.
There is a piece of veneer missing to the bottom edge of the bottom 'spine'. This is barely noticeable and can only be seen if you tilt the box backwards.
All in all the box is still very nice. Its wear is commensurate with its 130 plus years of age and honest use. Please view all of the photos provided to ensure you are happy with the condition of the box.
Notes About Antique Locks
We would like to make you aware that antique locks can occasionally malfunction. They are already very old and will naturally have some wear from age and use. We are not responsible for locks that malfunction from further age and use once boxes are purchased.
Please ensure the lock is still working as soon as you receive your box. It will be checked again prior to posting.
You can view our full returns policy which includes locks by visiting our Payments And Returns page.
Measurements
Please use the following measurements to ensure the box is the right size for your requirements.
Length: 15.2cm
Width: 11.7cm
Height: 10.8cm
Interior Compartment:
12.3 by 8.7cm with a 5.7cm depth.
Postage
This box will be posted FREE within the UK by Royal Mail Next Day Special Delivery.
International postage is £30 by Royal Mail International Tracked and/or Signed For postage. Delivery is fast, within 3-5 working days to Europe and 5-7 working days to the rest of the world. Delivery may be longer depending on the speed of your local postal service and/or if your parcel has to go through customs. Please note that we cannot deliver to international PO boxes as we use a secure insured postal service that requires a signature.
Customs/VAT fees and Import Tariffs
International customers are responsible for paying any applicable customs duties, import tariffs, customs clearance/handling fees and/or VAT. These fees are NOT included in the prices of our boxes or our postage fees.
Please visit our Orders & Delivery page for further details.
For more information regarding our payments and returns policy, please click this link.
For more information regarding our orders and delivery policy, please click this link.
